Inspired by Margarita Wars

This past Saturday was Creative Loafing’s annual Margarita Wars, an event I find very inspiring. At this event bartenders from around the bay area dream up their most creative margarita, and everyone attending gets to vote for the best.

The 19 entries this year included cocktails for every palate, and tequila was probably the only thing all had in common. Flavors varied from the traditional lime juice to ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, and coconut, fruits included watermelon, blueberries, and mango, and garnishes included persimmons seeds, blueberry caviar and citrus foam. Traditional salted rims gave way to toasted coconut, habanero pineapple, and chipotle sugar. Many of these cocktails were outstanding, and all were creative and worth trying. As someone always looking to push the flavor boundaries in beer & hard ciders, it’s exciting to see what flavors mixologists are combining to create new taste sensations. Cheers!